Combined bed and chair



Aug. 20, 1935. A. J. RICKETTS COMBINED BED AND CHAIR 2 sheets sh t 1 Filed April 24, 1955 INVENTOR.

. N i ww. w .3 l m. 3

BY 4 Ww A TTORNEYS.

Aug. 20, A, cKETTs COMBINED BED AND CHAIR Filed April 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 20, 1935 UNITED. STATES PArENroFn-c COMBENED BED AND CHAIR Albert J. Ricketts, Louisville. Ky. Application April 24,1933, serial No. 667,576 3 Claims. (01. 155- 15) This invention relates to improvements in combined beds and chairs of the folding type. and an object of the invention is to provide an adjustable chair readily convertible into a bed by means 5 of simple operations.- Another object is'to pro vide a combined adjustable bed and chair with a footrest which maybe folded substantially fiat; 'Anotherobj'ect is. to provide a chair. with a ,footrest, the chair bottom being adjustable. Another object is to provide in a combined adjustable bed and chair with a footrest a folding adjustable framework, capable ,of being maintained in adjusted positionsQ Another, object is to provide a continuous wide, flexible member'or bottom for advantages preside incertain novel featureslwhic'h fl xibleemembergout ends.

eriFigurerifl 'i'sa. aniertical sectio gg on the-. l-ine Y -Eligure 12 ctioneofr lie structure iwhenifolded 116;: iastfii nr en'f-Figilr, 2brtical (action of he nvention iadjustedj'incone... .thery ar'ious 'chainpositionsarid 7 he esariiewerticaltplan'e fas? Figure F2 evzFlgurie'i isiari enlarged'fportion offFigurie 251 A combined folding adjustable bed and scl'iair zicon'stru'ctedzdm accordance iwithl thrip'resentiinirf rame'isworkrwhich is' foldable Thisciraineworkoconsists :ofixa 8 .front. legl frame ljffa suprlg'rfia'meqgl 3-;f'a fbdtrstgframe 121, a'ndflinks :l4,z1asse'mbledfas hei eirias how" ptheaccompanyjofithezsame vrtica'l pl fife onsi'st of w spaced 5 l .e ...neari theimllowerrends by t cross as) alll lai irllhfiifqllpper endsrby 5%? the cross rod ll, as shown on Figure 2 ;;;;:Spa'jced ap rteal narunetnriiacrsedseseof thezsida bars l5 provided a p vot the bed; chair, and footrest the effective length of which is readily. adjustable. Other objects and '25 and at their lower ends by the cross rod 33. The side bars 24 are connected near their lower ends to the pivots 2i, and are located outside the rear leg frame ID, and are spaced therefrom as at 2! by means ofthe spacers or washers 23. 5

Near the upper end of the front jleg frame H is located a pair of pivots 26 securely hingingtogether the front leg frame II and the support.- ing frame IS. The supporting frame l3 which can swing freely on the pivots 26 consistsvofiia 10 pair of side bars 21 connectedgatitheir;lowerzeor free ends by the cross, ro'd:-28;;TheZside 'ars 21 are located outside-jtherfrfont eg-rframe' tanid :rodiggilg issufiicient to allowssbringingl'into p alignment with the front leg frame it theisup- :ftportinggif-rame 2.13; :when' it iis'lswungl iabout'l' the FPiVQtS-LZB; -the?(iIOSS'.-]10di28 clearingxthelend of the .yfronteleg-vi frame all shown 1m g-Figure 2a; --i='1'Ihe zf0'Qtrest fram Z referringito Fi'gureslcan I0 Eigure 21) consists iof'ztwos'side bars; 30 connected at; thei,r.-iupper1.erids iby thercrossgrod S lifand :near

their mid points by the cross rod 32:. Thezfootfresti'frame'ii'2 is hingedr-toithei'front leg rframe H 3!) Joyx means iof'ttheucrosslirod 33 whic'lrnis -journaled =:=in;hole s .orfibearings provided near the; lower. ends .-,of themside Lbars' 30*}; the holes being anormal Zto Tithe @side. faces thereofl An ;alternative-method of ;:hinging tthe'=footrest :fram'e. 1.2;ztol thei frontxleg --frame:slal"'is to"remoyeitheaorossirodrfi to thezlower T'sidev of zethe :front legidramainear'; its :;1ow.er .end v andkto. provide pi'vot's nearrrthe flower iend'rof Beach 7 side: bar '25 to wliichptheofootrest? frame limay-gbe hingedgvinpracticallyithe samefashion a'szt the 1.4.0 -cros's2rodl33i previouslyirefeilrfed 'to' i 'iAs'zshpwriI the vside bars; 30 rare located ioutside the;side tabars s24 rofzithezf-ronttlegrframeiIil .1'The "rossirodle33 is. 'fflSilEllGdil i. andijexte'nd hrough:; holes..:atfthe' ztlowers ends ;'Of' the; side zbarsi'lzllaand is: normal; to 9 5 szthein side faces a and projects. zbjey'o'ndi i their louter esideofac escribediaboye, he side bars 330' H 5.5. The mksior s pportin to'itheifootrestframe -l;2.-'-bmm.ean;s;o.f .the'crossrod s 0 -;-32\;:journa1ed in-cho1esazor bearings pr videdxnor- .i mal togithe :side faces gofiithetlinl zs 5,101? supporting .rmembers 14;: .z. Similanholes :or; bearin s' ar 1 4 -vi'dedi near .theiroupperxlends and i,n.1t:l 1es holes is --joi1rnaled. theemss ro'd Jil thusihinsinsrtbe l nks 5 or supporting members I4 to the rear leg frame II]. The upper ends of the links or supporting members I4 are inside the side bars I5.

The links or supporting members I4 at their lower ends engage the cross rod 32 of the footrest frame I2 sufficiently far inside the side bars 3! to clear the side bars I5 of the rear leg frame In when the structure is folded and they are in parallel alignment with each other. from sliding sidewiseon the cross rod 32 by means of the stops 34 fastened to the cross rod 32 outside and adjacent to the links or supporting members I4 and by means of the combination stops j and spring anchors 35 also fastened to the cross rod 32 inside and adjacent to the links or supporting members I4.

of the rear leg frame It as previously described and are held from sliding sidewise thereon by means of the stops 2!! fastened to the cross rod -I'| inside and adjacent to the links or supporting tom for the bed and the chair and its footrest.

Tothis adjusting rod 31 are attached also the guides 38; one near either end, by means of the holddown devices 39. Through the guides 38 pass straps 40 fastened at their upper ends to the cross rod 3 Iof the footrest frame I2 and at their lower ends to the links 4|, the lower ends of the links 4| being hooked to the springs 42 which in turn are hooked to the combination stops and spring anchors 35on the cross rod 32, the straps 40, the links 4 I, and the springs 42 being thus held under tension. i I

The adjusting rod 31 is located sufliciently out of line with regard to the cross rod 3| and the combination stops and spring anchors 35 so that appreciable component parts of the strap tensions are directed against the adjusting rod 31 holding it in engagement with the notches or receptacles 36.

Thewide flexible member 44 is directed from the adjusting rod 31 to the cross rod 3| of the footrest frame I2. From the cross rod 3 I, around which it passes, the wide flexible member 44 is further extended passing over the cross rod I I of the rear leg frame Ill and resting thereon as-in Figure 2b, showing a chair position, thence ex- Ttending to and being attached to the cross rod 25' In Figure 2, illustrat-' of the front leg frame II. ing abed position, the wide flexible member 44 clears the cross rod H of the rear leg frame III.

The part oft he wide flexible member 44 extending from the'cross rod 3| to the cross rod 25 is its effective length. From the foregoing description it becomes apparent that the device disclosed embodies several desirable features; The transverse structure as well as providing points of. support for the stresses imposed upon the device when in I use. The use of a plurality supporting points distributes such stresses throughout the structure rather than concentrating them at a single point and thus assures a more substantial structure.

Furthermore, the relative location of the sev- They are held 2 At their upper ends the links or supporting, members i4 engage the cross rod I'I gage thedesired notches I8 or I9. justments 'may be made as desired;

ple operation merely by moving the support member I3 change the structure from a chair to a bed. In addition, as will be pointed out hereinafter, the entire structure may be collapsed and folded into a compact portable unit by means of two simple operations.

When the structure is set up as in Figure 21) it provides a chair with a footrest, and the bottom provided by the wide flexible member 44 is adjustable by causing the adjusting rod 31 to engage the various sets of notches 36 on the footrest frame I2. There is a plurality of such positions. The bottom is further adjustable bymanipulating the framework as follows. Swing or rotate the front leg frame I I and the rear leg frame It about the pivots 2|, the cross rod 23 of the supporting frame I3 being made to engage with a pair of notches I8 on the rear leg frame Ill, the

footrest frame I2 and the links or supporting members It automatically assuming different relative positions. The chair and footrest and the framework thereof is maintained in selected positions by the engagement of the cross rod 28 with the notches I8. There is a plurality of such positions of the framework each providing a new position for the bottom. 7

When the structure is to provide a bed the adjusting rod 3! is made to engage a selected set of notches 36 on the footrest frame I2, as shown in Figure 2, and the framework isadjusted to the bed position by rotating the front leg frame II and the rear leg frame I0 about the pivots 2| so that the cross rod 28 of the supporting frame I3 can .be made to engage with the special notches I9 near'the lower end of the rear leg frame ID,

the links or supporting members I4 and the footrestframe I2 autom'atically'assuming the positions shown in Figure 2." The framework is maintained in the bed position by the engagement of the cros'srod28 with the special notches I9. The bed bottom has a;plurality of positions which are selected by causing the adjusting rod 31 to engage the various sets of notches 3B. I

'rWhen it is desired to fold the structure, the

supporting frame I3 is swung in a clockwise direction, referringto Figure 2 and Figure 2b, about ;the pivots 26 until it is in parallel alignment with ring to Figure 2a, as far'as it will go without forcing. The front leg frame II and the rear leg frame ID are then pulled to the positions shown in Figure 2- or Figure 2b, the links or supporting members I4, and the footrest frame I2 moving automatically to relative positions. The cross rod 28 of the supporting frame I3 is then made to en- Further ad 1. A device of the character described comprising a pair of elongated side members mounted in spaced relation, a second pair of spaced side members pivotally secured to said'elongated members intermediate the ends thereof and having a series of notches adjacent one end, a pair of support members pivotally secured at one end to the elongated members and having a transverse spacing member attached to the other end, said transverse membe'r beingad'apted toengage in the notches and to vary the vertical angles between the pivoted pairs of side members, a third pair of spaced members pivotally attached at one end to the lower ends of the elongated members and connected by a transverse member at their other ends,

a pair of links pivotally attached at one end to the upper end of the second pair of side members and pivotally attached at the other end to a point intermediate the ends of the'third pair of members, a continuous, flexible covering means providing a supporting surface and affixed to the upper ends of the elongated members and to a point on'the third pair of members beyond the transverse member, whereby the covering means may be stretched horizontally to form a bed surface when the support members engage in the lower notches of the second pair of side members and may be'suspended from its points of attachment to form a chair surfacewhen the support members engage in the upper notches.

2. A device of the character described in claim 1 having in combination, a series of notches adjacent the upper end of the third pair of members,

, a transverse rod engaging in said notches and providing a point of attachment for the flexible coveringmeans, and resilient means attached to the third pair of members and. to the said rod whereby the rod may be maintained under tension andbe held securely in a designated notch.

3. A device of the character described in claim 1 having in combination, a series of notches adjacent the upper end of thethird pair of members,

, a designated notch and at the same time may be,

changed from notch to notch to vary the effective 20 length of the covering means.

ALBERT J'. RICKETTS; 

